As a nation we do love a good BBQ, don’t we? The slightest hint of a bit of spring sunshine and we’re dusting off the barbeque and inviting round friends and family for an evening huddled around the firepot eating burgers and burnt sausages .. just me?? 😉
Anyway, here’s an addition to your summer table I think you’re going to love! This caddy was made on a budget, such a lot of fun to make AND during those winter months it can totally double up as a holder for some bits and bobs in the office! Spoiler alert .. this little project involves the tiniest bit of drilling and screwing, but you’ll be fine. Promise!
here’s what you need for your bbq caddy
- A piece of wood, measuring approximately 23.5 x 14.5 x 4 cm
- 6 equal sized tins
- Primer (optional) – I used this one from Dixie Bell
- Good quality paint – I used Killarney Flat Matt from B&Q
- Hessian Squares or some (burlap) material
- Mod Podge
- Some nice serviettes or paper of your choice – I bought mine in our local garden center, but love the colours on these too!
- A few cute embellishments – mine look very similar to these ones
- Burlap blooms
- Hot glue
- A handle – like this one for example
- Drill
- Basic Screwdriver and screws
Let’s start at the beginning
So, to start with, I made sure the piece of wood was free from splinters and dust. I really didn’t pay an awful lot of attention to it, but made sure it was fairly smooth without too many rough patches.
Next I used my Dixie Bell Slick Stick primer to give both the piece of wood (all sides) AND the outside of all the tins a coat of primer. It’s probably not strictly necessary, especially if you are using a self priming paint, but it won’t hurt, right?
Leave to dry and take a good quality paint to paint the piece of wood (all sides) and all the tins. Again, leave to dry before the next step.
Let’s make them pretty!
To add some colour and pattern to them I used some floral serviettes and took off only the top layer which we’re going to use to decoupage the tins. I measured the serviettes to size, leaving the top rim and the bottom rim of the tin to show and covering up the “ridged” part of the tins. Next, I folded the serviette where I marked it and then used a small knife to tear the serviette along the fold.
I got asked the question why on earth I’m painting the tins, if I’m covering them up again anyway and you may be wondering the same thing! As the tissue paper gets transparent, the colour of the tin will shine through and as such I personally felt I wanted them to have a hint of the same color as the wood. But of course, it’s personal choice! For really bright colors choose a white paint as your background.
The back of the tins had some slight imperfections and I opted to use the back as my starting point for applying the Mod Podge. I only added a small amount initially, lined up the serviette and with a stroking motion applied the serviette. Work your way around the tin, adding more Mod Podge and stroking down the serviette until you reach your starting point again. Cut down the serviette and secure the join with Mod Podge. If needed, use a piece of cling film to place around the tin and stroke out some bubbles and wrinkles. The cling film will work as a barrier to prevent the paper from ripping (but still work carefully). Finally, cover your whole design with another layer of Mod Podge to protect and leave to dry.
what’s next for your bbq caddy?
OK, so this is the part where you’ll need a small drill. I measured approximately 2 cm from the top of the tin (at the back where the join of the paper is) and drilled a small hole in each of the tins.
I then lined them up against the piece of wood and marked the holes with a pencil or pen. Take your drill and pre-drill (no need to go all the way down into the wood – it’s just a starting point for the screw) where your tins will be attached. Next, take some small screws and attach all the tins to the piece of wood. Your BBQ caddy is now starting to take shape!
Let’s jazz things up!
You know, I like to add some “Extra” … and this project is no different. I took some Hessian squares from The Range and cut them in half. I then added a small amount of hot glue on the inside of the tin at the back and folded the Hessian material into the tins, leaving enough material for it to be folder over the edges. Tuck the material in at the back (this can take a bit of patience, but stick with it!) and secure with some more hot glue if you feel it needs it.

Finally I had some “Burlap blooms” and some small embellishments and added these to the front of the tins with some hot glue. This covers up the bit where the burlap is crossing at the front and adds a bit more fun!
have a handle on it!
I had an old handle that I had managed to rescue! It came off an old set of drawers that we threw as they really were beyond repair, but I managed to rescue the hardware before Rob’s trip to the local dump! 😉 I marked where the screws would go, pre-drilled the wood and attached the handle with some small screws (small enough for the handle, but long enough to take the weight off the caddy).
Finally, I couldn’t resist adding a tiny bit more shimmer by going over the handle with some Annie Sloan Gilding Wax.
Add your cutlery or condiments for your summer table and you’re all done!!
time to show off your bbq caddy!

I really like how you can totally change this to your taste by just mixing up the serviettes and the paint colour.

This would also be a perfect gift to bring to a BBQ party.

And of course you could add some small plants instead of cutlery too!

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